British Values

At Lockington CE VC Primary School, we agree with the Department for Education definition of British Values:

Democracy

The rule of law

Individual liberty

Mutual respect

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Although our school population is not diverse, we understand that there are many different types of community in modern Britain.

We believe these British values are effectively promoted in our school through our School Aims and our Christian values. We believe these aims and values will develop us spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, therefore helping to prepare us for the next challenges and opportunities in our lives. These values are experienced throughout our everyday school life, as evidenced on our website. Below are some examples of how we promote these values in our school:

Democracy

Pupil voice is an integrated aspect of school life. Pupils have the opportunity to learn about different models of democracy and take part in votes, pupil-voice questionnaires and pupil councils. Our pupil-elected School Council play a strong role in our school. They are elected by their peers and are involved in making our school a better place to learn. Pupils have input into their learning and what they would like to learn, which promotes our pupil voice. For example, pupils decide what our charitable endeavours shall be; what competitions we will create and enter and to whom we will write and invite to our social occasions and performances. Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted regularly. We know that the formation of the School Council and the active participation of our pupils will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

The Rule of Law

Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to. This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum.

The involvement of our pupils in the creation of the school rules helps them to understand the reasons behind rules and the consequences if rules are broken. We debate and discuss the reasons for laws so children can recognise the importance of these for their own protection. Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including the police, the fire brigade and many more. We believe that clear explanations and real life stories emphasise the importance of the Rule of Law for our pupils.

Individual Liberty

We work to create a positive culture in our school, so that children are in a safe environment where choices and freedoms are encouraged. In lessons, learning tasks are challenging and require cooperation and endeavour. We encourage children to compete in the belief they have every chance of success. We offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests. Through our E-Safety and PSHCE sessions, we educate children on their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely. We believe that valuing choice, freedom, appropriate risk taking, a desire to win and appreciating our fellow competitors in daily school life will foster a value for individual liberty as the children embark upon their adult lives. Pupils are helped to understand their personal rights and freedoms, and are advised on how to exercise these safely. Topics such as anti-homophobia, equal rights and e-safety are taught through our curriculum.

Mutual Respect

Our pupils learn together with respect for each other. We value and celebrate our peers, as evidenced on our website. Every pupil knows that we respect and appreciate each other no matter what differences may exist. Mutual respect is a core value of our School Aims. Without our community working together and achieving together our School Aims could not be fulfilled.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected. Parents and leaders of different faiths are welcomed to the school to share their beliefs. We believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to become knowledgeable, understanding and successful citizens who can build a better future. Children have the opportunity to visit places of worship that are important to different to faiths. We actively promote diversity through celebrations of different faiths and cultures. Our inclusive and all-embracing Religious Education curriculum teaches pupils about the beliefs and practices of all major religious groups, and indeed the shared values that religion can promote in synchrony with core British values. RE can provide a context for the exploration of moral and ethical opinions and dilemmas by learning about lifestyles and behaviour. It can help our pupils to understand the power and meaning of belief and religion for individuals and communities in the United Kingdom and across the world. Through a rich and challenging curriculum and through a focus on key events in British History we invite pupils to reflect upon their role in a diverse, multicultural and multi faith society.

We equip pupils with a mature, respectful and sensitive appreciation for difference, diversity and individual rights. In discussing what it means to be British, children engage critically with stereotypes and prejudices and develop an understanding of how we can celebrate our heritage and home cultures whilst embracing diversity. We embed an appreciation of the values of fairness and democracy through our curriculum as well as through our school council, in which children seeking to be elected as class representatives participate in voting processes.

Our challenging curriculum enables pupils to recognise the valuable role that they play as emerging citizens in British society. Books, stories, poetry, songs and languages from other cultures are examined. Lessons explore the meaning of concepts such as liberty, democracy and tolerance. Pupils are provided with opportunities to ask questions, seek answers and develop ideas in a quest to discover more about their own identity and that of others. They analyse events in UK and world history where British values have been tested such as both World Wars. Pupils look at how different cultures live and work throughout the world. Our curriculum casts a light on global citizenship and the rule of law.

As well as actively promoting British values, the opposite also applies: we would actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views, if this ever occurred.

Schools are subject to a duty (Section 26, Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015) to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent duty.